The NSW Government is providing $2 million over three years to subsidise the purchase of specialised smoke alarms for people who are deaf, deaf blind or severely hard of hearing.

If you don't have a working fire alarm in your home you are twice as likely to die in a house fire as you cannot smell smoke when you are sleeping.

This problem is made worse for people with hearing difficulties as they cannot hear standard smoke alarms and specialised smoke alarms can cost up to $650, which makes them too expensive for many people.

Under the NSW Government's Smoke Alarm Subsidy Scheme, applicants are asked to contribute $50, which is about the cost of a standard smoke alarm. Applicants can seek for this fee to waived based on financial hardship.

A range of smoke alarms are being offered which will cater for different needs.

The alarms will include vibrating under pillow pads and strobe lights.

The scheme runs over three years, with the alarms being offered in eight rounds. The first round commenced in December 2011 and is open until February 2012.

For further information, or to apply for the Smoke Alarm Subsidy Scheme, please contact the Deaf Society of NSW, who are implementing the scheme on behalf of the NSW Government:

Phone:  8833 3600
TTY: 8833 3691
Fax: 8833 3699
Email: smokealarms@deafsociety.com
Website: www.deafsocietynsw.org.au/smokealarms